Have you ever wondered how we make Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream for cyclists?

Would you like to know the secret behind its winning formula?

The backstory about “Doc”

It all starts with me and my sensitive derriere in 2004. I grew up racing bikes as a USA Cycling (USCF back then) junior in Texas and enjoyed the sport all the way through college racing for various teams including the Fightin’ Texas Aggies. We were pretty good back then and even pulled of a nice finish in the Team Time Trial at Collegiate National Championships on less than ideal equipment that matched our redneck personas. Despite my delusions of grandeur, I wasn’t the next Greg LeMond so I headed off to medical school to pursue my other dream after college. I rarely rode a bike of any kind during 4 years of medical school and only started riding at the tail end of 7 years of surgical residency because my sleek 158 pound endurance athlete body had slowly swelled into a 200+lb embarrassment.

My return to cycling was not all that easy. The worst part was that my once bulletproof hind-end was sensitive beyond reason. Even though I grew up in the era of chamois pads made with REAL chamois leather, I had never used chamois cream prior to version 2.0 of my cycling experience. At a friend’s suggestion, I tried a popular brand of chamois cream for cyclists. It worked great…for about 5 minutes. Thinking there was SOME brand out there that actually worked, I tried every brand of chamois cream for cyclists in existence from this country and abroad. I experienced the same problem over and over: either they didn’t work at all (other than giving me a “loaded diaper” feeling) or they worked for about 5 minutes before my body either absorbed or sweated the stuff off.

EVERY chamois cream on the market back then was loaded with stuff I really didn’t want on my most sensitive areas (more on this later)

Being completely disillusioned with the chamois cream for cyclists available, still very much uncomfortable on the bike, and a little cheap, I decided I could make chamois cream myself in 2006. I went to various supply houses, pharmacies, and organic markets looking for stuff like shea butter, lanolin, tea tree oil, and zinc oxide. I talked to various compounding pharmacists and formulation chemists. I made a few interesting batches of chamois cream in my kitchen. Some were better then others and no two batches were the same. One thing was clear, however, I could make a chamois cream for cyclists that kicked the pants off of what was available for retail.

By around 2008, I began wondering if I could actually sell this stuff. It turns out that the FDA has pretty strong opinions on selling stuff that people put on or in their bodies (please don’t put chamois cream IN your body). Worse yet, manufacturing a skincare product in mass quantities requires a “formula”, significant capital, and a commitment to very large quantities. It took a couple of years but I navigated the FDA regulations and got an on-the-job education in cosmetic formulation. Cosmetic formulation requires the skills of a formulation chemist to assure that large mass-produced quantities of products are made properly. A simple recipe describing “a cup of this and a tablespoon of that” won’t work.

Chamois cream wish list

Top view of a wide open aloe vera plant.

Before we could manufacture the stuff we wanted to sell, no less than a half-dozen versions of our chamois cream were tested. Our formulation chemist took our initial wish list and made 3 initial prototypes. The biggest items on our wish list were:

A HEAVY dose of Tee Tree Oil and Witch Hazel in order to naturally fight bacteria and yeast/fungus

ABSOLUTELY no mineral oil (did you know that stuff is made from petroleum!?)

Water could NOT be the first ingredient (in case you didn’t know, the ingredient listed first on an ingredient list is the most prevalent ingredient; most chamois creams list water first…what’s the point in that!?)

It had to be as natural as possible while still being safe and stable on store shelves

It has to last for hours (see #3)

Testing prototypes

We tested some really interesting chamois cream prototypes including a version we called “Doc’s Extra Chunky”. It was chock full of shea butter which tended to be clumpy. One test rider referred to the chunks as “ball bearings” for your chamois. It actually worked great but we determined that typical consumers would be put off by chunks in their chamois cream.

Armed with what we thought was the final formula, 4 of us headed to the 2010 Tour de France for some cut throat chamois cream testing. Along with being super fan boys, we completed the Nuts of Ventoux, Col du Galibier (this should be a MUST DO on any cyclist’s list), and a local race up Alpe d’Huez (turns out that local French guys are fast but I somehow eeked out a top 10) along with about 6 other trips up the 21 switchbacks. After 10 days of solid riding and many tens of thousands of feet of climbing, there wasn’t a single sore bum or spot of skin break down in the bunch. We knew we had a winner.

Since we started selling Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream in late 2009, we reformulated the secret recipe once. This was in response to the feedback of our valued customers who informed us that our chamois cream for cyclists was a little heat intolerant. We believe we now have the PERFECT chamois cream.

Not sure how to apply chamois cream?

Have you ever asked yourself:

How do you use chamois cream?

How do you apply chamois cream?

Where do you put chamois cream?

How much chamois cream should I use?

Do I put chamois cream on me or my chamois?

If you’ve wondered about any of those questions, you are not alone. The most common questions we get at Doc’s Skincare have to do with how to use chamois cream or how to apply chamois cream. Some people get REALLY specific and even ask “where do you put chamois cream?”.

Not long ago, we put together a brief video on the subject of how to use chamois cream. That video can be viewed on YouTube here. This article will cover much of what the video does but in more detail and depth. In order to get a better understanding of the technical aspects of chamois pads, check out this article. The nuts and bolts of that article are that chamois pads were originally made of actual chamois leather. Modern chamois pads like the type that you are most likely riding on are made of polyester fibers (more on this subject below).

Where do you put chamois cream?

A little bit of an anatomy lesson is in order here:

The V-shaped area at the front of the pelvis is where most of the pressure occurs on the saddles

The part of the human pelvis that makes most of the contact with the bicycle saddle and carries most if not all of the pressure of sitting on a bicycle saddle is shaped like a ‘V’ (depicted in blue in the diagram to the right). In men, that ‘V’ is a bit narrower that it is in women. This is why saddles shaped specifically for women work so darn well (women are not little men). It is the soft tissue and organs overlying the ‘V’ and within the ‘V’ that suffer the wear-and-tear of sitting for extended periods of time on a bicycle; these areas are the places you should focus on for applying chamois cream.

The area between the scrotum or vulva (genitalia; large blue oval) and the anus (small blue circle) is called the perineum (yellow star)

More specifically, the perineum (yellow star in diagram) is the area between the external genitalia (blue oval; scrotum in men, vulva in women) and anus (blue circle). Your more crass riding buddies might call this area the “taint”. The perineum is the area that universally gives riders the most trouble. It is in the area of the perineum that you should place a generous dollop of chamois cream. The perineum is the most common site of saddle sores and chafing in both men and women. If you do a little self-exploration, you’ll find that the anatomic locations within the ‘V’ of the pelvis have a lot of overlap and are ill defined. When applying chamois cream, don’t worry about where you are technically applying the stuff. Just use our diagrams as a rough guide and go with what makes the most sense. Other areas people like to apply chamois cream:

Some men find that they need a little extra chamois cream on the scrotum itself

Some women find applying chamois cream on the vulva to be helpful, particularly more to the back

Some cyclists apply extra chamois cream on seams, edges, stitches and various bumps on their chamois pad

Some cyclists apply some high up on their inner thighs

Chamois cream on ME or my chamois pad?

Back in the old days, chamois pads were made of actual chamois leather. In order to keep chamois leather soft and supple ride after ride and wash after wash, it was necessary to condition chamois leather with…you guessed it, chamois cream. Modern chamois pads are fully synthetic and do not require conditioning. Cyclists have kept on using chamois cream for its anti-friction and anti-chafing properties. Since modern chamois pads do not need conditioning, we recommend putting chamois cream on your skin rather than the chamois pad. In fact, we specifically formulated Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream to be used on the skin. Some cyclists find, however, that they need to apply chamois cream to certain areas of the chamois pad like the edges, seams, stitches or bumps because those areas cause irritation and chafing (as described above). Other cyclists have just always applied chamois cream to the pad and feel most comfortable doing it that way. The key here is to not over-think it and just go with what makes most sense.

How to apply chamois cream

A finger-full at a time? A whole hand-full at a time? After you put your shorts on? While you’re completely naked? With your shorts half-way on? Midway through a ride? Before a ride? Other than considering a few specific anatomical areas, there’s no right or wrong way to apply chamois cream. Just get the stuff on…and consider washing your hands afterwards.

How much chamois cream do you use?

Andrew Carnegie or any other titan of capitalism would implore you to use our chamois cream as often as possible and in as many ways as possible (toast? cereal? lawn fertilizer?). Actually, the amount of chamois cream to use is a matter of personal preference. Some people can’t stand the feel of a goopy and sloppy chamois. Others don’t feel right unless their shorts feel like a loaded diaper.

In theory, the more chamois cream you use, the less friction you’ll experience to a certain extent. Additionally, Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream contains Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera, and Witch Hazel which work to decrease bacterial and fungal overgrowth. Therefore, the more you use, the better you’ll keep that nasty stuff away. In reality, however, we believe that applying a reasonable amount to the RIGHT areas as described above makes the most sense.

The bottom line when using chamois cream is to not over-think it. Use the advice above as a guide, slap some on, and adjust as needed from ride-to-ride. Eventually, you’ll have your own method and preferences.

Chamois antelope risk everything to get into cycling shorts

While searching around the great interwebs, we stumbled on this gem of a video. It shows 10 chamois antelope or mountain goats in the French Alps who get caught up in an avalanche. As you may know these little creatures used to donate their hides to make the chamois pads in cycling shorts. What’s that!? Didn’t know that animals like this have been involved in making cycling shorts? I guess you haven’t read our ultra-intriguing article on that subject (that article is here). These little creatures essentially made us humans invent chamois cream (thank you little chamois antelope; Doc’s would be nothing without you).

Anyway, 4 of the 10 get swallowed up by a mountain of snow…what happens to them? You’ll have to watch.

Chamois Mountain Goats Get Caught in an Avalanche

Skin Creams, Ointments, Liniments and What They Do

If you’ve ever used some sort of cream or ointment, it’s probably because you’re experiencing some sort of pain and you want it to go away. While many ointments exist to help cure skin irritations such as chafing and saddle sores, some of them do the trick and others don’t. In some cases they are often passed on as being all natural, and yet they’re loaded with chemicals.

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A Brief History of Embrocations and Skin Creams

One example of ointment. Photo courtesy of arthritis.about.com

An embrocation is a type of medicine that is rubbed into the skin, such as liniment. These creams have a long and storied history, dating back thousands of years. Natural skin cream, in particular, has its origins dating back all the way to Egypt around 4,000 BC, where these treatments were first derived to heal irritating skin conditions. Granted, the ingredients were natural, yet often contained a wacky mix of bile, olive oil, ostrich eggs, resin, dough and milk. The ingredients have changed over the years, while still staying true to its organic intention, as many of today’s skin creams contain ingredients such as safflower oil, beeswax, jojoba, witch hazel, aloe and tea tree oil, to name a few. Go to a spa and you’ll find many varieties of these products with all natural ingredients.

Over time, these concoctions would be discovered to have natural healing properties and countless varieties of unique creams and ointments have appeared to solve a plethora of skin issues, or even make you look younger. The emphasis here was on natural, which over time led many to create their own remedies at home for skin irritations and ailments.

As skin creams and lotions have evolved over the years, liniments or embrocations remain the most popular methods for helping to deal with muscle aches, pains, cramps, sprains, and skin irritations. They even predate natural skin creams by about 3,000 years…so clearly they were onto something.

What Embrocations Actually Do

Most embrocations are used for afflictions such as arthritis or muscle ailments and feature ingredients such as alcohol and aromatic chemical compounds such as methyl salicilate, benzoin resin, or capsaicin. Interestingly enough, liniments are frequently used on horses legs after a race or a ride to help soothe any pain they may experience, or to help them cool off in hot weather.

If you spend a lot of time typing at your computer, your hands will probably hurt over time, so it’s not unusual to use some sort of ointment to heal any possible cramping in your fingers and hands. And if you do a fair share of bicycling or running, you’ll probably experience some pain, so it’s normal to use some type of bicycle or chamois cream to help heal your muscles after a work out.

Bicycling and Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

If you’re a bicyclist, no doubt you’ve had problems with chafing and maybe you’ve tried a variety of creams that just don’t cut the mustard. Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream is one such solution that features over 95% all-natural ingredients, such as Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Juice, Cocs nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Tea Tree Oil, and Citric Acid. Doc’s provides a longer lasting, natural protection against chafing, when compared to other products. Where other chamois creams can often loaded with chemicals, Doc’s is all-natural, so you don’t have to worry about poisoning yourself with toxic chemicals or any petroleum based ingredients that will clog your skin. And it definitely comes in handy if you’re taking a long bicycle ride.

Doc’s is the best cycling chamois cream out there, so give it a whirl…you’ll be pleased with the results.

Docs All Natural Chamois Cream: It’s so Goooooood!

What all this stuff about the Chamois?

Granted if you’ve been reading our blog, you’ve heard plenty about the chamois, what it does and why it’s so important. The chamois is a major component found in bicycling shorts, but it has a very long and unique story. Actually, chamois is quite a versatile material with a multitude of uses.

Chamois 101

For historical purposes, is actually a species of animal relative to the goat and antelope. Originally pronounced ‘sham-wah’ in Europe, the animal’s leather is usually pronounced as ‘shammy’ primarily in English speaking countries. While the chamois is popular game animal, known for its incredibly tasty meat, its leather has been popular as a cleaning and polishing tool as it doesn’t scratch surfaces.

Chamois leather is porous and is considered incredibly gentle and has been used in a variety of applications such as Gloves, Leather jackets, sporting gear and a variety of Orthopedic uses. Because of its soft texture it is often used to clean and dry cars, since it doesn’t scratch.

Like any kind of leather, if not treated properly it can become worn and cracked. Think of a baseball glove and how it always has to be treated with neatsfoot oil to retain some elasticity. The same goes for chamois leather, especially the type used in cycling shorts.

Chamois and Your Cycling Shorts

A pair of Chamois Shorts. Photo courtesy of Pez Cycling News

However, most cycling shorts use a synthetic alternative that doesn’t need conditioning. However, while most modern chamois leather may be made from chamois hides, you’re also likely to find the hides of deer, goats or sheep being used in its place. Cotton flannel is sometimes used as a chamois type fabric, since it’s equally soft.

The softness is really at the core of this issue. When riding a bike you experience friction and that’s where the chamois comes in…it greatly reduces friction and makes for a more comfortable ride (compare these to back in the day when bicycling shorts were made out of wool!).

Shimmying with Your Chamois: Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream

In terms of real chamois leather, it has been used in athletic wear over the years, primarily in bicycling shorts. Over time the leather would become worn and cracked and the stitching in the shorts would cause great discomfort, leading it to harden over time. While most bicycle shorts feature a chamois pad, you sometimes need a little help during a long ride with a chamois cream to avoid any kind of saddle soreness while cycling, which is where Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream comes in.

Doc’s is the best cycling chamois cream available. A naturally formulated cycling chamois cream, it’s longer lasting, and provides natural protection against chafing. Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream contains no toxic chemicals that will penetrate your skin, as well as no petroleum-products that will clog your pores and eat up your chamois. Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream is safe and natural with proven ingredients to protect your butt, your performance and overall cycling pleasure.

In the end it’s all about your tush and maximum comfort. Which is why Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream is definitely an added plus for any long bike ride.

Do you know the truth about chamois pads?

Chamois pad made from REAL chamois leatherDo you know the truth about chamois pads

What’s the story behind (pun intended) that giant fabricated pad in the seat of your cycling shorts? Before the days of mass-produced artificial materials, cycling shorts were padded with chamois leather (pronounced “shammy”). A chamois is a European antelope whose hide was used extensively in the 1800’s by the French glove makers. It was discovered that by tanning chamois hide in cod oil, the resultant leather became highly absorbent. Carriage footmen and then chauffeurs used chamois gloves for cleaning and polishing carriages and cars; the uses of chamois leather extended from there and centered around its soft and absorbent characteristics.

History of the chamois pad

Cycling began to gain popularity with the introduction of the modern “safety” bicycle and the pneumatic tire in the 1880’s and 90’s. Soon thereafter, clothing began taking on activity specific designs with the introduction of cycling shorts that were simply modified wool knickers. In order to reduce bunching of the wool shorts, designs began introducing multiple-panels. Unfortunately, multiple panels invariably produced overlapping seams in the most delicate areas. Chamois leather was then used to cover these seams and create a bit more comfort for cyclists.

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Development of modern chamois pads

With the introduction of DuPont’s COOLMAX material in 1986, polyester based materials like COOLMAX began replacing chamois leather in cycling shorts. COOLMAX was designed as a moisture managing or “wicking” fabric by its unique structure; it is made of four-channel polyester fibers that are woven together in cross sections to allow air to flow through the fabric. Most modern cycling short pads are now made with some sort of moisture managing polyester fabric. Use of moisture managing fabric in cycling shorts is ideal as moisture build-up can promote chafing as well as bacterial and fungal overgrowth.

How chamois cream was developed

Creams and lotions for chamois pads were originally used when real animal hide was used in cycling shorts. Chamois leather can become quite dry and stiff after repeated use and washings. Therefore, “chamois creams” were originally designed to keep the real leather chamois pads soft, supple, and absorbent. With the advent of modern chamois pads, the need for such creams may seem to be less clear; there’s certainly no need to “condition” modern chamois pads. Modern chamois creams, however, do improve comfort by creating an anti-friction barrier between the skin and chamois pad as well as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal environment thereby decreasing the chance for hotspots, chafing, and saddle sores. It is imperative that chamois creams not contain petroleum products like mineral oil that are known to breakdown the synthetic fibers in most chamois pads. Ideally, chamois creams should not contain overly thick or occlusive ingredients like petroleum jelly or silicone that hamper the airflow and wicking properties of chamois pads.

The often-used terms “all-natural” and “natural” are not regulated by the USADA or the FDA like the label “organic”. In the cosmetic and food industries, however, these terms imply at least a 95% by volume botanical/natural formulation (btw-“organic” per the USDA means 95% organic ingredients too); this is the standard supported by the Natural Products Association. Rest assured that all Doc’s Skincare products have well more than 95% all-natural products.

When creating a shelf stable and reasonably priced product, a responsible natural and organic focused manufacturer has to balance the safety of shelf stability (an unstable product can expose users to unsafe bacteria and fungus as well as a product with reduced function) and a “natural” profile. What’s more, the FDA demands that we produce unspoiled and shelf stable products.

Unfortunately, creating a shelf-stable and safe product requires the use of synthetic chemicals like phenoxyethanol and EDTA (read this article to understand why we use such chemicals and how they are perfectly safe). Also, not that there is an abundance of “mis-information” about these ingredients on the internet. Most importantly, they are NOT linked to cancer in ANY serious study.

A few resources to look into from the US National Library of Medicine:

You’ll notice in all of our ingredients lists (check those out here) that there is an abundance of healthy botanical and all-natural ingredients. In specific formulations and circumstances, we use synthetic chemicals as “preservatives” and ONLY when they are needed to protect our customers from bacterial and fungal overgrowth or to keep a product stable. We’ve gone through great lengths to avoid dangerous preservatives like parabens and sodium azide and have picked only the ones that have been proven safe by extensive in vivo scientific studies.

Our products are some of the most natural products available on the market. In particular, Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream is THE most natural product of its kind on the market (AND the BEST by-the-way). Due to the manner in which chamois creams have to be formulated, if someone wanted a chamois cream without ANY preservatives or with only purely botanical preservatives, it would have to be either made at home in small batches every few days because of shelf stability and expense (about a $60 tub of chamois cream) or by a “one-off” niche small-batch manufacturer (now it’s an $80 tub). We’ve investigated this route thoroughly and we simply can’t provide our customers with a shelf stable or reasonably priced product that performs anywhere near the level of our current cream.

What’s the hubbub about all natural chamois cream or any all-natural skincare product for that matter? In other words, our skin seems tough enough so why not use any ol’ skincare product that gets the job done?

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and is constantly bombarded by pollutants in our environment as well as by the myriad of substances we intentionally place on it in the form of personal care products. Our skin is the primary defense against the outside world including infectious agents and pollutants, however, it is not completely impermeable to everything. In fact, almost 60% of personal care products can be absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream. Shockingly, a study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found an average of 91 industrial chemicals in the blood and urine of volunteers. Some of these chemicals were traced back to personal care products.

Knowing that our skin is not completely selective about what it absorbs, it only makes sense to avoid questionable ingredients in skincare products. Common ingredients in chamois creams like silicone and mineral oil are particularly worrisome. Mineral oil is a petrochemical that is produced as a by-product during the distillation process used to transform crude oil into gasoline. Although NOT conclusively proven to occur with topical application, mineral oil is linked to cancer, allergies and immunotoxicity according to the Cosmetics Safety Database. At the very least, both mineral oil and silicone block the pores of the skin and inhibit the skin’s ability to clear bacteria and moisturize itself. Blocking the skin’s natural functions while in the saddle is a recipe for fungal and yeast infections as well as saddle sores.

It pays to know what you are applying to your skin. As some experts assert, we should be as mindful about what goes on our body as what goes in it. Check out our next series of blog articles where we’ll be highlighting some the most common ingredients used in Doc’s Skincare products.

Here’s our top 10 list for the prevention of saddle sores:

Bike fit – This is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT measure you can take to prevent saddle sores and general discomfort on the bike. If you are a serious fitness, recreation, or competitive cyclist, you owe it to yourself to pay for a professional fitting session. Inquire at your local bike shop.

Cycling shorts – There are just a few pieces of equipment in cycling where, relatively speaking, you should spare no expense. Quality bike shorts will have a molded pad in the crotch area made of COOLMAX or similar polyester-based material. This material is designed to wick away moisture, provide cushion, allow for airflow, and prevent chaffing.

Saddle – A quality bike saddle or seat is of obvious importance when it comes to the comfort of your posterior. Saddles come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, cushion thickness and type, and construction. Since no two pelvises are the same, try out as many saddles as possible before settling on the right one for you. Many shops (including www.competitivecyclist.com) have programs where you can test drive multiple saddles before purchasing. Some manufacturers have models of varying widths that can accommodate your specific pelvis measurements (e.g. Body Geometry by Specialized). You might be surprised to find that the cushiest and widest saddles are often the most uncomfortable.

Skin – clean and dry is your mantra when not riding. Always try to remove your shorts as soon as possible after riding. Head to the shower as soon as possible too. If you do not have an active sore or chafe, then assure after showering that your crotch is dry before putting on undergarments.

Undergarments – Between rides, wear lightweight undergarments that allow for maximum airflow and do not promote moisture build-up (cotton is king here).

Laundry – Do not wear shorts twice without washing them! You’re not cultivating a mushroom farm.

Unctions and tinctures – Old school riders swear by dousing their most delicate areas with isopropyl alcohol when ramping up early mileage with the thought that this toughens up their skin. If you can withstand the sting, then this will certainly aid in drying your nether regions after a post-ride shower. Beware, it hurts and may not be entirely necessary.

Inspection – Take a look at your crotch frequently. Look for areas of chaffing, redness, and little bumps. You might be surprised by what you find! Some of these spots can be fairly asymptomatic so you’re only going to know that they are there if you look. Pay close attention to “little bumps” as they can grow into large boils and abscesses. The best remedy for these little bumps or chaffed areas is time off the bike or a decrease in mileage. You can also try a variety of ointments available on the market (e.g. Doc’s All Natural Saddle Sore Ointment).

Rest – Just as your body needs rest to accommodate a training load, your crotch needs time away from the bike.

Chamois cream – Either you use it or you don’t. Most people become habitual users once they try it. Chamois creams were initially created to condition chamois pads when they were made out of actual animal hide. These days, a chamois cream is essentially used to decrease friction between a rider’s skin and chamois pad. Some brands use bontanical ingredients to hinder bacterial and fungal growth which are big culprits in non-healing saddle sores. Beware of brands that use mineral oil and silicone as they can breakdown modern chamois pads and clog the airflow properties inherent to the material used in chamois pads.